Camera Stabilizers

I was wondering if anyone might know which, if any, camera stabilizers are worth their money. I'm shooting on the trv 900 and would like to get some dolly-like shots. The Steady Tracker looks really good, but the Steadicam JR has the reputation. Can anyone offer assisstance? I appreciate it.

Answers

The Steadicam JR works great with the VX-1000, and that's about the
heaviest camera you'd want to put on it (with extra counterweights.
The 900 is under 4 lbs., right? Either way, practically speaking,
you'll need good arm and shoulder strength the use it smoothly.

Watch for the JR price to drop now that the new-for-1999 DV-steadicam
is out. Also, more used JRs may appear (I just sold mine this week
for $300--sorry!).

The new dv)steadicam was specifically designed FOR the heavier cameras
like the Canon XL-1 and the VX-1000. I very recently bought the whole
rig, including the arm/ vest to help distribute the weight (and allow
for longer shooting days--just what we need, right?!). It's a
wonderful combo, if a little pricey at $2K.

Let me say I'm new to the whole filmmaking deal, I'm just about to
start shooting my first film now. However, my suggestion would be to
forget about a SteadiCam and go handheld. Another idea would be to
get an object with wheels (wheelchair, skateboard, etc.) and balance
the tripod on that...stability and mobility, all in one neat package.